The Wolf and the Maiden
by The-Manga-Goddess
Summary: The untold story of the Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood after their tale and the events leading up to being exiled to the Mundy World. Bigby/Red fluff. Dark Fantasy/Light Romance/Tragedy.
1. Prologue: You Are In My Heart

I've had this story in my head for awhile now and thought I'd start on it. The story takes place after the one-shot 'Runt' from '1001 Nights of Snowfall'.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fables and Bigby Wolf – they rightfully belong to Bill Willingham – and I do not own 'The Wolf Among Us' game – that belongs to Telltale Games. I only own my version of Red Riding Hood (and other OC characters), this story plot, and the image cover.

Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcomed, flames are not. Enjoy the prologue!

* * *

_He was blown by a powerful gust of wind that took him thousands of miles from the North Wind's Castle. He flew into a large and dense forest area and landed harshly on a clearing, creating a crater from the impact. A regular wolf would've instantly died, but he was no ordinary wolf…_

_He got up and shook his black fur, his bones aching but he ignored the pain. Six times he ventured to that castle and six times he was defeated. With each failure, his size grew as well as his rage and cunning but he was still no match for the zephyr. He could never exact his revenge on his sire that abandoned his beloved mother and caused her to die of a broken heart… _

_Upon his seventh defeat, his golden eyes glared in the north direction and growled aloud,_

"_From now on, I'll grieve no more of my mother and think no more of my father. I will be no one's creature but my own until the very end of time…" He vowed as he walked in the opposite direction; deep into the woods he was once familiar with, the Black Forest …_

* * *

Bigby enjoyed the cool spring breeze that washed over him as he rested his large body on the grass. Normally, he could care less of those things but the breeze carried an alluring scent that possessed the essence of the woods itself, wildflowers, and a very feminine musk…

It was Red Riding Hood's scent. He'll never know why he was blown back to the Black Forest but he knew that she was the reason he'd stayed here. Her scent and gentle aura gave him a sense a peace that he hadn't had since he was cub, when his mother was still alive.

He never knew why he became so attuned to her scent and blood. He remembered that after he came up from the river from the encounter, the first thing he smelt was her and swore that she was right next to him, but she was nowhere in sight. Since then, he knew where she was and what she was feeling; he couldn't block out her scent no matter how hard he tried. He would often scoffed to himself to why he would care so much about the girl he once ate, but he just couldn't keep himself away…

Her scent was coming closer and his ears perked up when he heard her singing,

"_Du, du liegst mir im Herzen~_

_Du, du liegst mir im Sinn~_

_Du, du machst mir viel Schmerzen~_

_Weißt nicht wie gut ich dir bin~_

_Ja, ja, ja, ja, weißt nicht wie gut ich dir bin~_

Generally, he would stay away and basked in her peaceful scent and aura, but there were other times that he wanted to seek her out and watch her from a distance, like today. He got up and followed her scent and voice,

"_So, so wie ich dich liebe~_

_So, so liebe auch mich~_

_Die, die zärtlichsten Triebe~_

_Fühl' ich allein nur für dich~_

_Ja, ja, ja, ja, fühl' ich allein nur für dich~_

He saw her walking on an old, beaten path, still wearing her red, hooded cloak. He's heard her sing that song many times, but he always enjoyed hearing from her. Despite his large size, the darkened trees provided excellent coverage for him.

"_Doch, doch darf ich dir trauen~_

_Dir, dir mit leichtem Sinn?~_

_Du, du kannst auf mich bauen~_

_Weißt ja wie gut ich dir bin!~_

_Ja, ja, ja, ja, weißt ja wie gut ich dir bin!~_

He was impressed that she would still walk in these woods despite what happened. Many creatures, both animal and man, feared him but she didn't. Yes, she was frightened when he was going to eat her, but she seemed to overcome that. Never has she emitted any anger towards him and found himself to care for her and wanted to protect her. But despite all that, he'd feared that she would be frightened if she saw him, for he's twice the size since their last encounter, which was why he kept out of her sight.

"_Und, und wenn in der Ferne,~ _

_Mir, mir dein Bild erscheint,~ _

_Dann, dann wünscht ich so gerne~ _

_Daß uns die Liebe vereint~ _

She has gotten older since that day. He's been living in the Black Forest for several years now and noticed that with each passing year, her scent was becoming more alluring. He knew that humans aged differently than wolves, and her scent told him that she was coming of proper age to 'mate'. He didn't know why he would care about such a thing, but the thought of it made his heart pound.

"_Ja, ja, ja, ja, daß uns die Liebe vereint~ _"

He couldn't wait for that day to come…

* * *

_Her memories were a blur. She remembered coming into her grandmother's cottage and then she was eaten whole by the wolf she knew as Bigby…_

Is this what death is like? _She asked herself but she knew that no one could answer that question for her. She was told that when people die, their spirits would be free and ascend to Heaven, but she was surrounded by closed walls and darkness._

Surely this cannot be. _She thought. Maybe the priests from the church were lying or maybe she wasn't really dead…_

_Suddenly her eyes were blinded by a bright white light and then witnessed series of memories, but it wasn't hers…_

…A gang of wolf cubs were nipping and pulling at his ears, laughing at his small size. Despite his threats, his brothers taunted at him because he was the runt. A beautiful, but weak, white she-wolf came over and told her children to stop picking on him. She lied down near him and licked his ears like a loving mother would do and he happily nuzzled into her…

…The wolf cub let out an anguish howl as his mother laid dead; she had died of a broken heart. He held anger and resentment for his older brothers, who quickly abandoned their mother after she died to search for their father and teach them his powerful wind abilities. He had a burning rage for his father was the one that caused of his mother's death. He desperately tried to protect his mother's body from the scavengers, but he was too small and weak to vend them off…

…The cub started hunting on small prey. With each kill he moved onto something bigger, and every time he killed a bigger prey, his size grew. Before he knew it, he was bigger than the average wolf…

…The wolf had killed a lot of creatures, but he never killed a human before. While he was searching for his first human prey, something sweet caressed his nostrils; it was so delicious that he had to have it. When he followed the scent, he learned that the scent belonged to a young girl in a red cloak…

_And then she was awoken and breathing heavily as if she had a nightmare. She saw that she was back in her grandmother's bedroom and covered in blood; the events that had occurred suddenly rushed back into her head._

_She knew that she would never be the same, ever again…_

* * *

Rouge felt a tingle down her spine. She knew that Bigby was nearby but she wasn't afraid. In fact, she felt quite safe. As a child, she always felt more connected with animals than with humans because they never judged or expected her to be a 'good and God-fearing little girl'.

She never told anyone (not even her grandmother with whom she's always close to) about her experience, for she feared that people might think she's either insane or a witch. She never could recall what happened during that time, but she knew that she became attuned to his feelings, and the connection deepened as she got older.

Most people would think that after her encounter with the Big Bad Wolf, she would **never **leave the comforts of her home; she'll admit that it was a terrifying experience, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life locked in just because of a bad experience.

Since that incident, she's heard that Bigby was nothing but an evil and ravenous monster, but she couldn't sense any evil, even before that incident. Since being in his body, she felt an overwhelming flow of anger, sadness, and loneliness from him, emotions that she can relate to. In the past years, she knew that he felt content whenever she was in his presence, although she couldn't see him, and she was happy to bring him some joy.

"_Du, du liegst mir im Herzen~_

_Du, du liegst mir im Sinn~_

_Du, du machst mir viel Schmerzen~_

_Weißt nicht wie gut ich dir bin~_

_Ja, ja, ja, ja, weißt nicht wie gut ich dir bin~_

She walked along the beaten path singing a folksong about love, which was a favorite of hers. Like every maiden, she wanted to fall in love with a handsome man but doesn't want to sacrifice her freedom. She's seen girls her age marry the man of their dreams, and then they do nothing but make babies and serve their husbands. Local men and even faraway travelers who have heard of her terrifying tale, offered her pretty trinkets and petty promises to protect her from the Big Bad Wolf; she knew that they were only attracted to her because they saw her as an desirable conquest to be tamed.

"_So, so wie ich dich liebe~_

_So, so liebe auch mich~_

_Die, die zärtlichsten Triebe~_

_Fühl' ich allein nur für dich~_

_Ja, ja, ja, ja, fühl' ich allein nur für dich~_

When she first met Bigby, she knew that he was no ordinary wolf; he was kind and charming towards her. She now knew he was only trying to get close to her so that he could eat her, but she somehow felt that it was still genuine.

"_Doch, doch darf ich dir trauen~_

_Dir, dir mit leichtem Sinn?~_

_Du, du kannst auf mich bauen~_

_Weißt ja wie gut ich dir bin!~_

_Ja, ja, ja, ja, weißt ja wie gut ich dir bin!~_

For as long as she could remember, wolves have been her favorite animal. Most people seem them as predators that hunt down the innocent, but they are protective and loyal to their mate and family, as well as strong and free, traits that she admired. She saw them as misunderstood but majestic creatures.

"_Und, und wenn in der Ferne,~ _

_Mir, mir dein Bild erscheint,~ _

_Dann, dann wünscht ich so gerne~ _

_Daß uns die Liebe vereint~ _

When he came back to these woods, he would do small but kind things for her, like retrieve berries or flowers that were too high for her to reach, or create a breeze for her on hot summer days when she came to the woods. Of course, these acts of kindness were done from a distance and when she tried to find him to thank him, he was gone. She would try to find ways to lure him out, but he always eluded her. She knew that they would meet face to face someday, and the thought of that made her heart pound.

"_Ja, ja, ja, ja, daß uns die Liebe vereint~ _"

She couldn't wait for that day to come…

* * *

So this chapter mostly explains the relationship between Bigby and Red, as well as some of Red's background. Hopefully it wasn't too boring, but there'll be more dialogue and action in the next chapter.

The song that Red sings is actually a German folksong called "Du, du liegst mir im Herzen" which translates to "You, you are in my heart"; I thought song was a good fit for their 'future' relationship. ;) The lyrics are on Wikipedia. If y'all want to listen to the song, listen to Dagmar Frederic's version on YouTube; she has **the** most beautiful voice for that song.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. Part I: Pair-Bond

I'm giving y'all a heads up that I'm going to be more focused on this story, than on "The Wolf's Company" because there's some stuff in here that will play a role in the later chapters of "The Wolf's Company", you'll see what I mean. I'll still update chapters on TWC but it'll be slow.

So there's two parts in this story, the first part mostly deals with the budding romance between Red and Bigby and in the second half is about Adversary; and you'll see why the story is split in half in the end. This story will be short, at least 5 chapters per part, not including the prologue and epilogue.

See if you can spot the other Fables. ;)

* * *

_A light snowfall dusted all across the Hesse and especially the Black Forest, due to being close to the mountains. Night had fallen and during this time, everyone would stay in shelter until spring, but not him. _

_He trudged through the deep snow, and then shook his fur to rid of the snowflakes that landed on him, but it kept on falling. His golden eyes stared up into the sky which was as black as his fur and the full moon shone brightly. _

_It's been nearly a year since he was blown away from his father's castle, and he's been living a solitary life in these woods. He no longer went out and hunted humans, for he was twice the size of the human man, but he would devour foolish men who would think that they could slay the Big Bad Wolf. It was a lonely life, but he was content because he was able to enjoy the youthful scent of Little Red Riding Hood… _

_But he'd been restless for the past few nights and he didn't know why. His instincts were telling him to seek out, but seek out what? _

_A howl echoed into the forest. He knew that he wasn't the only wolf that roamed these woods. Like every creature, the wolves dared not confront him due to his large size and reputation of eating anything that crossed him. Being a wolf, he'd recognized the howls and often paid no heed it. _

_But this howl was different; the howl he just heard was feminine, full of need and desire, and the scent of arousal soon filled his nostrils. Before he knew what hit him, his carnal instincts emerged and demanded him seek her out and claim her. That's must've been why he was restless, he wanted to mate!_

_He found her on a cliff that overlooked a good portion of the forest. The she-wolf was lean with pale gray fur that matched the moon; he'd never seen such an alluring creature. His instincts were urging him to go over her and mate her, but there was a problem: His large size would be physically impossible to mount her properly. _

_He then remembered his mother telling about his father's powers, where he could command the winds and change forms. He was able to discover his abilities without the aid of his father, so he experimented and learned that he could shift his size. He then approached the she-wolf in heat as his true form, for he didn't want to deceive her like how his father did with his mother. _

_He saw her turn toward him and noticed her green eyes, which reminded him of Red Riding Hood's, become fearful and she positioned herself to fight. _

"_I'm not going to harm you." He soothed; his voice was guttural but her stance relaxed slightly. "I've heard your call and want to relieve your frustration." He said as he changed his size where he was small enough to mate her, but still larger than an average wolf. _

"_Do you wish to mate?" He asked huskily; he wanted her so badly but he didn't want to force himself upon her. He pleasingly saw her green eyes looking at every part of him and smelt that her arousal was overpowering her fear, _

"_Yes…" She moaned and offered her stomach. He'd never been around other wolves other than his mother and brothers but it was a short time, so he didn't know very much about his own kind. However, the sight of her submission made his body move to its own accord. _

_He nuzzled and licked her face affectionately before repositioning himself from behind. From there, he followed his instincts._

* * *

Bigby roused from his slumber when his stomach rumbled in hunger. He opened his eyes lazily and gazed at outside where the early morning sun shone over the snow-covered ground. He got up and stretched the kinks from his body, and then stepped out from the cave before changing back to his 8-foot tall size. He glanced at the sleeping pale gray she-wolf and smiled.

Her name was Selene, a fitting name for her he thought, and he's been with her every winter since that night. He would've left soon after, but he enjoyed the companionship. She was now middle-aged (but she was still sexually attractive to him) whereas he still looked the same despite being over three decades old.

Another reason why he didn't leave her back then was that she was pregnant. He was initially shocked at becoming a father, but he didn't want to abandon her and their litter like his father did. When she gave birth to their first litter, he fell in love with them. While he could never truly love her, he deeply cared for her and their children. He knew that her feelings were mutual, but she stated to him that he was a good father and provider.

He wondered if he would ever find his true mate, but he knew that it'd be unlikely. His thoughts then went back to a conversation from a few years ago…

* * *

"_Pair-bond?" He looked at his female companion as they lied next to each other. It had been three days since that night and despite her fear of him, she wanted to get to know him; he also enjoyed her company despite feeling no romantic attachment to her. _

"_Yes." Selene nodded, "It's the deep connection that mates share. A pair-bond is different for every animal, whether is just for the mating season or for territorial reasons. For wolves, it's 'death do us part' and it can be devastating if it's broken."_

_He thought that's probably why his mother died; she had pair-bonded with his father and when he abandoned her, it was too much for her handle. He felt his anger rising but he quickly back down, he promised himself to never think of that._

_Selene told him that she had pair-bonded with an outsider male but he was killed by humans during the mating season. She later gave birth to his cubs but they were very weak and died. She grieved until the following late winter when she was in heat; her animalistic need to mate overpowered her grief, and that's when he came in…_

"_How did you feel when your mate died?" He asked._

"_I was heartbroken. I don't think I could ever bond with another wolf than him, but I knew he didn't want me to mourn. Even though our time together was short, I'll always cherish those memories." She sighed nostalgically._

"_How could you tell if he was the one you were to be pair-bonded with?"_

"_He was physically attractive and quite virile, but many wolves are like that. What really led me to believe that he would be my eternal mate was his scent."_

"_Scent?" He cocked his head slightly._

"_Yes. When we first met, he actively pursued me and I often rejected his advances, but then I couldn't get his scent out of my mind. It was then I knew that he was to be my lifelong partner. Some wolves will pair-bond with another based on carnal attraction, but scents can indicate who your true mate will be." _

_He took her words into thought and then he sniffed the air; a bunch of different scents invaded his nostrils but one always stood out: Red Riding Hood's…_

* * *

"I see you're awake." A feminine husky voice broke his train of thought and he saw Selene staring at him with her caring green eyes as she stretched. Despite looking quite old, she was very wise and motherly. He always thought that she reminded him of his mother, which was probably why he valued her company.

"I haven't eaten anything in a while, so I'm going hunting. Do you want me to bring back something?" In the past, he always fended for himself but he would hunt for Selene and their cubs.

"No." She shook her head, "I must be getting back to the pack for the breeding season is nearly over."

He nodded in understanding, he knew that he really wouldn't be welcomed in the pack so Selene would return to the pack for a while, and then she would give birth on the outskirts of the pack's territory, where he could participate in the raising their cubs. He would stay with them until the fall, where she would introduce the cubs to the pack. It wasn't his idyllic family life, but he wanted his cubs to grow up in a support system that he never had.

He then gazed into the direction of the village and sniffed. His powerful nose inhaled a numerous combinations of different scents, but he was able to quickly separate Red's scent which radiated peace and was many miles from here. He thought that she might be tending to the farm animals for he knew that being with animals always made her feel serene.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" He heard Selene ask and saw her knowing look, she knew about his fascination about Red Riding Hood, but instead of answering, he left.

Little did he know that the she-wolf knew that the girl was to be his destined mate; however, she had a feeling that those two would face an uphill battle.

* * *

His golden eyes focused predatorily on a full-grown bull moose. He was right behind his unsuspecting prey and was about to go in for the kill…

But then his sharp ears picked up feminine giggling and **her** scent became stronger. He suddenly jerked from his position, causing his prey to be aware of his presence but he didn't care nor did he feel hungry anymore. Only **she** could make him forget his hunger…

He followed her scent to a large, frozen lake where he saw two adolescent females wearing fur-trimmed cloaks, one was red and the other was dark green. As usual, he kept his distance and hid within the trees which still provided him good coverage, even in the snow. He watched as the females sat on the edge of the frozen lake and put on strange-looking shoes.

Red took off her red cloak, revealing a long-sleeved mint green blouse with a long green skirt, black boots and a black bodice fitting over her curvy body, and then she slightly primped her long and wavy auburn hair that was tied in a green ribbon.

He then became mesmerized as she glided on the ice, jumping and twirling as she laughed and interacted with the other female, who wore a similar attire but in dark brown; he amusingly took note of the other girl looking nervously into the woods, mostly likely watching out for **him**…

For hours, he watched her enjoy herself on the ice; he would be somewhat worried that she could break the ice and drown herself into frigid water, but he saw that she was cautious to not stray too far.

Eventually, the girls were out of breath from the excitement, and he knew that they would head back to their village. He was about to leave as Red and the other girl began talking, but something in his instincts told him to stay and listen so he did. Even at this distance, he could hear their conversation as clear as a bell...

* * *

"That was a lot of fun!" Seventeen-year-old Rouge panted excitedly as she slumped on the snow-covered boulder. Her companion had skated, not as vigorous as her, and had fun but she was a bit nervous,

"I don't know how you talked me into this Red. The Wolf roams these woods, what if it comes and eats us." Her brunette friend said uneasily as she sat next to her.

She looked at her friend; she had dark brown hair and eyes with a peach complexion and thin figure. She had a very quiet mousy-like personality, but she enjoyed the girl's company better than the other girls.

"Oh, Gretchen…" She said to her friend, "He won't come after two maidens that obviously wouldn't be a threat. The ones that get eaten are stupid men that need to prove their masculinity by trying to kill him." She huffed. Ever since Bigby came back to the Black Forest, local hunters and even men from faraway lands would try to hunt him down, either to boost their ego or impress her, but they were never seen again. She saw that her friend still looked worried so she reassured her,

"Look, I've been going into these woods and he hasn't bothered me, since that day." She quickly pointed out the last part, "Given the time of year, he's probably out mating with a she-wolf."

"How do you know this?"

"My grandfather was kind of an expert on animals." She smiled proudly. Her grandfather used to hunt and trap animals and would sometimes take her along. As an animal-lover, it always made her sad it see an animal die, but her grandfather was always respectful and would never dare hunt for sport unlike the hunters these days. He was the only male figure in her life, for her father abandoned her when she was an infant, but he sadly died about a decade ago and she always missed him.

She shook her head to rid of those thoughts and looked at the sunset casting an orange glow on the frozen lake. This lake was known as Schwanensee for the beautiful flock of swans that would come here when it was warm, and she loved coming here to see them.

"So, did you have fun?" She asked her friend.

"I did." Her friend nodded and stared in wonderment at the scene before her, "I've never been to the Schwanensee during the winter, and you're right: it's just as beautiful in the winter than in any season."

"I just wanted to make sure you got a chance to see it. You're getting married this spring and you probably won't see this ever again." She knew that Gretchen was more than ready to settle into domestic bliss, but she wanted to offer her friend a small taste of freedom.

"I can understand why you love coming here Red, but don't you ever want to get married? I mean, nearly every guy in the village wants to marry you. Even some from other countries want your hand."

_Ugh, don't remind me…_ She mentally groaned. She knew that most girls envied her position and she would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy the male attention, but she knew that her suitors only wanted her for sex. The suitors her mother forced her to meet were no better either; they were incredible wealthy or had nobility but they were too old, fat, unattractive, and all of them very pompous.

"I do want to get married but I want someone who will love me for who I am and won't try to tame me." She explained, "I want him to be strong who can protect me and make me feel safe. I don't think I can find somebody like that here."

"Why don't you marry that Woodsman who saved you?" Gretchen suggested and she looked at her as if she grown a second head,

"I mean, he fits your description: he's strong and he'll protect you like he did from the Wolf. It would be so romantic..." Her friend sighed romantically but she didn't feel the same way.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful that he saved me, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to marry him. Plus whenever I talk to him, I don't feel anything romantic toward him and he probably still sees me as that twelve-year-old girl he saved."

"Well, you don't **look** like that twelve-year-old girl." She pointed out, and she knew that Gretchen was talking about her appearance; in the short years after the encounter with the Wolf, her body drastically changed.

She stood up and gazed at her reflection in the frozen lake with mixed emotions; her face was very feminine with high cheekbones, full lips, and voluminous eyelashes, her muscles had become well-toned, due to her ventures into the woods, and her figure was a similar shape of an hourglass. Many would consider her beauty a blessing, but she saw it as a curse.

She didn't want a Prince Charming, she wanted to love someone who loved her for who she was and not her beauty. Then she felt a familiar tingle down her spine, along with feelings of desire and admiration. She knew that it was Bigby's feelings and suddenly she felt her heart pounding and butterflies in her stomach.

_Could he be…?_ She pondered but her thoughts were cut off,

"We should head back." Gretchen said and she nodded quietly, trying to hide her blushing face.

* * *

He watched as the females put their cloaks back on and started walking back to their village. After listening to their conversation, he felt his heart swell up at Red's words. He always admired her free and wild spirit and wouldn't dare tame her.

He then became angry as he smelt Red's pacing heart and desire; he thought she was thinking of the Woodsman and instantly became jealous of her becoming his old foe's mate with cubs of their own. He shook his head to rid of such thoughts,

_Who am I to tell her whom she mates? _He said to himself as he watched the females walk away. _Even if I wanted her, it can never happen. Not just because we're different species but our story… _

He then saw her turning toward his direction and look right at him as if she knew he was there, and he felt his heart stop.

"What's wrong Red?" He heard her companion ask.

"It's nothing." He sensed her lie as she sent him a lovingly smile before turning away, leaving him frozen on the spot and his heart pounding.

* * *

In 'Runt', I've noticed that Bigby had been a lone wolf since he was a young pup, so I added Selene to give him some insight on things he would've never learned on his own, mostly social things in a wolf pack. I found it weird that he would teach his and Snow's children how to hunt in a pack or pack discipline, despite **never** being in one himself (I don't think his brothers counted).

Next chapter will be mostly Red and Bigby's cubs will appear so stay tuned!


	3. Part I: Matter of Time

Sorry for the long delay, I've had to make some changes in this chapter. I also start my college classes tomorrow, so chapters may come out slower but I will try my best to get them out.

Enjoy this chapter and please review if y'all don't mind. Thank you!

* * *

"_Bigby!" She called out as she aimlessly wandered through the Black Forest, and made sure her red cloak didn't get caught on something. _

_She heard the adults fearfully gossiping about the Big Bad Wolf living in the forest. It had been over a year since that __**day **__and many believed that he was dead, but she knew that he wasn't. It turned out that she was right and now she was sneaking into the woods, looking to see if she could find him. _

_Many would think she was suicidal or insane, but she wanted to see him. He may have eaten her, but she didn't think he was evil from and felt that he deserved a second chance, especially when she felt all the emotions when she was in stomach. _

_She came to a clearing and immediately felt his presence but she couldn't see him; she wasn't afraid because she felt that he was curious rather than threating._

"_I know you're here Bigby." She stated and waited for a reply, when she didn't get one she continued, _

"_The villagers are saying that you've come back to this forest, and I wanted to know if it's true." Again she was met with silence,_

"_I've never been afraid of you, not back when we met and not now." Yet again, he didn't reply. _

"_I'm not leaving until you show yourself." She said stubbornly and sat on the ground. She stayed there for hours and she knew that Bigby hadn't left either. When the sun began to set, she finally got up,_

"_I need to go home, but I'll be back." She vowed loudly and walked in the direction she came in, but because she walked aimlessly, she became lost and began to be fearful; not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, but the other creatures that would prey on her if she didn't get home soon. _

_She suddenly felt a gust of wind pushing her in a direction, and she was dumbfounded by this strange wind until she felt it was Bigby's doing; he was guiding her home!_

_She followed the gusts of wind until she found her cottage. Tired and hungry, she eagerly ran to the door without caring that she'll get a lecture from her mother; but before she went inside, she turned back to forest and smiled, _

"_I'll be back."_

* * *

Eighteen-year-old Rouge smiled at the memory as she brushed the tangles out of her hair from last night's sleep.

After that day, she went back six more times to find Bigby but wasn't lost like before, and each time, he would playfully toy with her to see if she could find him. Finally she gave up after the seventh time, but he would still interacted with her without revealing himself.

It'd been like that for about five years, and she knew it was only a matter of time that they'll meet with the way things were going. For some strange reason, that made her heart pump excitedly and she smiled.

In the mirror, she glanced at the cloak on her chair. It used to be bright red but after that **day**, it became darker because it was stained with Bigby's blood. It could never return to its original color, no matter how many times she washed it, and she refused to get rid of it. To her, it symbolized a turning point in her life that made her into the woman she was today.

She placed her brush on the table and took off her white, cotton nightgown and put her attire for the day: a white with long sleeves and low-neckline, a light blue dirndl skirt that reached her ankles, a dark blue bodice, and dark brown boots. She then tied back her waist-length auburn hair in dark blue ribbon.

On her dresser was a belt with a hunting knife that belonged to her deceased grandfather; it was her most prized possession beside her cloak. Once she secured it, she took her cloak and went downstairs to the kitchen, where her mother was placing food on the table.

Her mother was a beautiful woman despite nearing forty, with her long, dark auburn hair (which was a shade darker than hers) put up in a messy chignon, dark green eyes, and her attire was similar to hers but more modest and had on an apron on.

She and her mother greeted each other before eating their breakfast in tense silence. When she was younger all she wanted to do was please her mother, but then she began to realize that her mother hardly cared about her happiness, and that's when she started spending more time in the Black Forest instead of meeting potential suitors that her mother approved of.

She loved her mother but at the same time she resented her…

"I'm going into town to get some groceries, did you need anything?" She asked before she went outside.

"I can't think of anything." Her mother replied stoically as she cleared the table.

She breathed in the cool morning air. It was around early April, but it was normal for the weather to be slightly chilly in the morning, especially when it had been raining like last night. She hoped that today would be nicer so that she could go into the forest; while the rain brought a sense of calmness to her, she hated it when it would rain for days for it meant that she would be cooped up inside.

She grabbed her basket and made her way to the village.

* * *

"_Guten Morgen_." She greeted at the passing villagers as she walked along the cobblestone path; her village had less than 100 people here and was a farming community where everyone knew everybody. Despite it being a small village, she could appreciate its rustic beauty.

Her town was located near the edge of the Hesse and right on the edge of the Black Forest. It was also a common rest stop for travelers and merchants from the Aquitaine; most of the residents were either born here in the Hesse or were from Aquitaine, or a little mix of both.

After she finished her grocery shopping, she started making her way home but as she passed the tavern, she heard slurred singing from a familiar voice,

"…_Und ich will's nicht leiden~_

"_Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot~_

"_Röslein auf der Heiden…"_

She went down the alley and saw a bald-headed and bearded man, wearing a simple green, plaid tunic, and brown trousers, and boots. He stopped singing when she stood in front of him,

"You've been drinking all night again haven't you?" She asked with her hands on her hips. His eyes were bloodshot and she could smell the alcohol off of him.

"Fuck off Red, yer not my wife." He slurred and narrowed his hazel eyes at her. Despite his harsh words and daunting appearance, she was not fazed.

"Good thing too, or else I would be constantly worried about my husband. Come on, you need to go home." She said with a soft but firm tone.

He looked at her strangely, but he didn't say anything as he tried to get himself up but stumbled. She quickly caught him, nearly starring because of his heavy weight, before he tumbled to the ground. He was a head taller than her and quite burly, but she was a bit stronger than girls her age.

"I don' need yer help…" He griped but made no attempt to push her off of him.

"You can barely walk straight and your cottage is not that far." She placed his arm around her shoulder and held his waist so that she would have some balance. She adjusted her basket and led him through the village.

They'd only walked several steps before he looked like he was about to throw up. When they were near the town's fountain, he emptied the contents of his stomach into it which made some of the villagers look at him disapprovingly.

She knew he wasn't quite a popular person, even after he saved her from Bigby. While some saw him as a hero, others still saw him as the violent drunk he always was, but everyone wanted him here in case the Big Bad Wolf decided to eat up the village; he was the only man to fight the Wolf and live to tell the tale.

She also took note of a couple of boys her age leering at her, but she knew that they wouldn't come near her because of the Woodsman.

After he was done vomiting, he stood back up but he was still a bit woozy. She coaxed him to lean on her again and they continued walking. His face was close to hers and she cringed because his breath reeked of vomit and liquor, but she tried to ignore it.

"Why d'ya bother with a piece of shit like me, Red? Is it because I saved you from that Wolf?" Despite being a violent drunk, she knew that he could be quite vulnerable when intoxicated.

"Savior or not, I couldn't just leave you there." She admitted honestly. Despite defeating Bigby, he never **once** tried to use that to seduce her into bed with him, nor ever shamelessly flirt on her like other men did, and for that she had some respect for him.

A few minutes later, they reached his cottage, which was on the outskirts of the village. She opened the unlocked door led him through his bare, one-room cottage.

"Here, just rest here for a while." She said as she helped him into his bed.

"Why haven't you married yet?" His sudden question made her speechless and she looked at him strangely.

"I'm just wondering why you haven't latched onto a fella yet." He continued, "A kind girl like you could have any man." The way he looked at her was almost tender and that made her hesitated on answering, but he was drunk and most likely to forget this conversation later,

"Well, I don't think a man would want free-spirited woman like me as a wife." She stated and then left before she heard his words,

"I would…"

* * *

"It took you longer than usual, what kept you?" Her mother asked curiously when she returned home.

"I saw the Woodsman drunk again, so I took him back to his place since he couldn't walk straight." She shrugged.

"I hope you don't plan on eloping with him." Her mother looked at her with narrow eyes. She, like most others, wasn't too fond of the Woodsman.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed, clearly offended that her mother would ask that, "I'm not interested in marrying him."

"I'm just worried. Even if you're not romantically interested in him, people will talk and no suitable man will want to marry a woman who had a questionable relationship with another man." Her mother reasoned,

"I'm grateful that he saved you from that Wolf, but he's a poor choice for a husband: He can barely provide for himself and spends what he earns on alcohol."

"I get it." She said in order to avoid her mother's lecturing. Once the groceries were put away, she made her way into the woods, unaware of her mother's forlorn look…

* * *

Bigby sniffed the cool morning air, scouting for prey. It had rained for a couple days, washing away his prey's scents. Now he had no difficulties in tracking a prey during the rain, but he had to hunt when the weather was nice on account of his 'helpers'.

He turned and saw seven cubs trailing behind him; five of them were black like him and the other two were pale gray like their mother. He had promised his current litter that when they were older, he would take them out and showed them how **he **hunted.

This was his and Selene's fifth litter and so far their largest one yet. His five sons and two daughters still had their blue eyes and were weaning; but coming this fall, Selene would take them to her family's pack to gain the experience of being in a pack. Even though they'd agreed on the arrangement, he wanted them to stay longer for he cherished his fatherly role.

Despite his frightening reputation, he was a loving father to his children and they adored him. It brought back the feeling when he first became a father…

* * *

_It was a cool spring night as he ventured back, with a dead boar in his massive jaws, to the den he and his pregnant companion shared. _

_As he neared the den, a strange scent entered his nostrils and then he heard sounds of whining and yelping. He dropped his kill and peeked inside the cave and saw Selene licking one of the three newborn cubs. __He shrank his size and went inside for a closer look; they were all black like him, blind and feeble, and he wondered if that's what he'd looked like when he was born._

"_They were born right after you left." She said contently. He sniffed and slightly nudged them and one of them touched its small nose on his. _

_He felt like the happiest wolf on earth… _

* * *

The sound of yipping brought him back to reality and saw some of the cubs picking on the runt of the litter, a male black cub named Blackghost. Now he wasn't really a strict parent, but the only time he would be stern toward his cubs was when they would pick on the runt; he always had a special place for runts because of the fact he was one.

"Don't pick on your brother." He said as he nudged the cubs away from their small sibling.

"Why not Dad?" They asked him curiously.

"Because I used to the runt of the litter and now I'm bigger than my brothers." He chuckled at their surprised expressions, "So it would be best to not pick on him."

His nose then picked up the scent of a bull moose, not far from here, and he hushed the cubs. He peeked over some shrubbery and found the moose grazing on an opening clearing. He quietly ushered his children into a thick shrubbery, and then grew to his natural size as he crept to his prey.

The bull sensed him but instead of fleeing, it charged at him and this amused him. Very rarely would he get a chance to play with his prey and this gave him a good opportunity to display his wind powers.

With a very deep breath, he blew out a strong gust of wind which nearly picked up the one ton moose and it staggered. Within seconds, he sank his jaws into its neck before the bull could react. It tried to put up a fight but it was futile as the blood poured out, and then it ceased fighting.

The cubs then came out and were in awe of him. At this size, they looked like pebbles.

"Will you teach us that father?" His pale gray daughter asked. He set his kill down so that he could speak,

"Maybe another day." He smiled. His children had inherited his wind abilities and he would give them some lessons, but he always told them to use them for good instead of bad.

He was about to pick up his kill until a familiar scent and voice stopped him dead in his tracks. He went over and through the dark trees, he saw Red Riding Hood sitting on a flower meadow, humming **that **song as she made a flower crown.

He immediately noticed his old foe's scent mingled with hers, and he wasn't pleased despite being very faint; selfishly, he didn't want any man to taint her pure scent but he knew that he had no right for such a request…

"Who is she Dad?" One of the cubs asked, all of them looking curiously at her. Their mother always told them to stay away from humans, so they were naturally curious on why their father was so fascinated with this one.

"She's…" He hesitated, finding the right words, "someone very special to me."

He saw a songbird perched on her finger and she lightly caressed its head before releasing it, a feat that no normal human could do. He always knew that she was magical since she and her grandmother didn't die very easily, and he was glad or else he would've never seen her grown into an adult.

He fondly remembered the times she tried to find him. Because of his wind abilities, he had the advantage but that didn't stop her. He would use his powers to toy with her, but it was the only way for him to interact with her without revealing himself, for he feared that she would be frightened of him…

He then saw that Blackghost had curiously wandered to her and he was too late to stop him.

She ceased her singing as she noticed his son coming up cautiously to her.

"Well, hello there." She smiled at him as he sniffed her. She brought her hand to him, letting him sniff it first before softly stroking his head. Before he knew it, the rest of the litter went over to her. Like their sibling, they sniffed her and let her caress them. His heart melted as he watched as his children licked her face affectionately and she had a joyous expression.

He knew that anyone else wouldn't hesitant to kill his cubs but he knew she wouldn't; she would only kill if her life was in danger, like she did that **day**, but never on an offspring.

He was amused that she placed her flower crown on one of the cubs head and then she laughed as two of them played and tugged on it.

He desperately wanted to join his cubs but he knew he couldn't, so he watched afar.

_Maybe someday…_ He thought longingly.

* * *

I'd planned on introducing Woody in the next chapter, but as I was talking to HybridmakerV2 the other day, he was concerned on how I would portray Woody and I like to thank him for bring that to my attention. He wouldn't exactly be like Gaston from 'Beauty and the Beast'; Due to how he was in the game, I'd imagine that he would be the town drunk back then and not quite popular (though some people truly did see him as a hero), but everyone would want him in their village because of Bigby living in the forest.

The song Woody was singing is 'Heidenröslein', a German folksong that tells of a man's rejected love of a woman who is a rose. This is an allusion of his feelings toward Red specifically during "The Wolf's Company".

In Bigby's backstory, he'd mentioned that Red was magical for she didn't stay dead so I'd expanded on that. I decided to give Red a magical power which is basically like 'wild magic'.

Since Red Riding Hood is a popular German **and** French tale, I've decided to make Red's village on the edge of the Hesse region, near the Aquitaine. The Hesse and Aquitaine are the Fables version of Germany and France respectively. It would also make sense since Germany's Black Forest is located near France's border.

In the next chapter Red will finally come face-to-face with Bigby, so stayed tuned!


End file.
